When Dial-Up Isn't Fast Enough
This chapter discussed PPP and SLIP, the two main protocols used by dial-up users to make a connection to the Internet or another network, such as a company network or another WAN. For many users who don't use a lot of bandwidth, dial-up connections are inexpensive. And for mobile users, a dialup connection is ubiquitous, whereas dedicated solutionsdiscussed in the next chapterare not always easily accessed. Because a dial-up connection uses the public switched telephone network (PSTN), there are limits to the amount of information that can be carried across the link using a modem that translates digital signals to analog signals, and then reverses the process at the other end of the connection. Dial-up access should be used when you find that the cost of the service matches the user requirements or when you need a backup connection for when a broadband connection fails. It can also be used for users on the road where hotels offer only dial-up connections.
However, using digital connections it's possible to get a much faster connection to the Internet or to connect one network to another. In Chapter 15, "Dedicated Connections," you'll learn about the methods used for dedicated connections. However, don't dismiss dial-up networking entirely, even if you are able to obtain a broadband or other fast connection. As slow as it might be, dial-up networking using a modem can serve as a backup when your other, faster connection fails!
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